Tuesday, September 2, 2008

False rape accuser goes to jail for one year

A follow-up to a story we previously reported: A woman who falsely cried rape will be jailed for a year.

And I applaud the Judge for summing up in no uncertain terms the real damage she did -- to the innocent man she lied about. In far too many cases police and judges seem to think that the primary victims of a false rape claim are the possible, hypothetical, unknown, future, even unborn women who might be, could be, may be less willing to come forward and report rape due to the lie.

Yes, real rape victims are indirectly affected by the lie, but the primary victims are the men or boys falsely accused. Here is what the judge said in this case:

Judge Graham White said that a false rape allegation was one of the most serious examples of perverting the course of justice. He told Casson: 'It is important that the public are protected from people like you who go about making these false allegations. I see no signs of remorse on your part. You put Mr Eaton through hell - he did not know for some considerable time if he was going to be prosecuted for this utter lie. What you did exposed your victim to the risk of losing his naval career and he had to suffer the indignity of coming to court to give evidence about his sexual relationship with you.'

A naval officer who seduced her former lover and then accused him of rape was today jailed for 12 months.

Communications officer Erin Casson met submariner Brian Eaton for a sex session - three months after their relationship ended - at the home of her new boyfriend, who was away.

But afterwards she left and told police that Petty Officer Eaton had forced his way into the house, threatened to kill her and then raped her.

He was arrested on returning to his home in Watford and subjected to a six month-long investigation which he said left him 'mortified'.

Police dropped the case after suspicions grew that the allegation was untrue and Casson, 27, was later charged with making a false rape allegation.

She denied perverting the course of justice but a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court took less than an hour to find her guilty after a four-day trial.

Today Casson - who married her Royal Navy boyfriend Tim Rankin this May - sobbed as she was sentenced.

Judge Graham White said that a false rape allegation was one of the most serious examples of perverting the course of justice.

He told Casson: 'It is important that the public are protected from people like you who go about making these false allegations. I see no signs of remorse on your part.

'You put Mr Eaton through hell - he did not know for some considerable time if he was going to be prosecuted for this utter lie.

'What you did exposed your victim to the risk of losing his naval career and he had to suffer the indignity of coming to court to give evidence about his sexual relationship with you.'

The court heard Casson had invited Eaton to travel from a military base in Northwood, Herts, and meet at a Tesco superstore in Portsmouth, Hants, in September 2006.

The pair had been involved in a relationship for one year but had split three months earlier.PO Eaton told the court Casson had persuaded him to go for a few drinks and then on to the home of Mr Rankin, who was at sea.

After kissing, they had consensual sex on the sofa.

Afterwards they continued laughing and joking with each other before Casson left the house saying she needed to pick up something from work and would return in 20 minutes.

Despite him sending a number of text messages she never returned and after two hours he left.

During this time Casson met up with John Hibbert, a married man she had had sex with just 48 hours earlier, and told him she had been raped. He told her to go to police.

Casson told officers Eaton had surprised her by arriving at the house and kicked and punched her before raping her on the sofa.

Describing his arrest in Watford, PO Eaton said: 'The next thing I knew about it the police were coming into my room at 4am and gave me the allegation of rape.

'I was taken to Watford station to wait for officers from Portsmouth to come and get me and on the cell was written in dry white marker the word, "rape" - I was mortified.'

The court heard Casson was examined at hospital where doctors discovered bruising on her arm but no signs of any rape.

CCTV from a Tesco garage also showed the pair laughing and joking while neighbours remembered Casson and Eaton enjoying some 'light-hearted banter' before entering the house.

Casson, of Portchester, near Fareham, Hants, told the hearing they had broken up because she suspected him of cheating on her.

Casson said: 'He was sleeping with a girl from the NAAFI and a hairdresser.'

Kate Lumsdon, prosecuting, said the motive for the false rape claim was unclear.

She added: 'It was a cry for attention or help, or maybe she had a grudge against Mr Eaton.'